Review MEIKE 7.5mm F1: 2.8 FISH-EYE

According provided by lens MEIKE 7.5mm F1: 2.8 FISH-EYE many thanks Meike company.

Navigation

1. In short
2. All MEIKE lenses
3. Main Specifications
4. Assembly
5. Focusing
6. Image quality
7. Sample Photos
8. My experience
9. All Sony APS-C E cameras
10. All original lenses for Sony APS-C E
11. Price
12. Video review
13. Results
14. User Comments
15. Add your review or question on the lens

Please note that the MEIKE 7.5mm F1:2.8 FISH-EYE lens is available with different mounts. This review shows the MEIKE 7.5mm F1: 2.8 FISH-EYE version for mirrorless cameras Sony E with APS-C sensor (for cropped cameras). At the same time, MEIKE 7.5mm F1: 2.8 FISH-EYE is also available with mounts Fujifilm x, Canon EF-M, Nikon Z и Micro 4 / 3.

In this review, I will abbreviate the MEIKE 7.5mm F1: 2.8 FISH-EYE lens Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish Eye.

because of martial law in Ukraine this review helped me prepare Anna Anuttara.

Appearance photos are taken from the official website Meike. View of the lens from the review can be viewed in Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye video review.

In short

Meike 7.5 / 2.8 Fish-Eye is a modern manual fisheye (i.e. fisheye) for cropped mirrorless cameras with an APS-C sensor or less.

The optical lens is good.

Meike 7.5 / 2.8 Fish-Eye is interesting for its low price, compact size, all-metal body and a sharp picture across the entire field of the frame already at F / 2.8.

Of the shortcomings, in the first place, glare in the backlight can be distinguished, however, the vast majority of similar lenses suffer from this.

All Meike Photo Lenses:

For APS-C/MFT, manual focus only:

1. 3.5mm 1: 2.8 Circular Fisheye [only M4 / 3]
2. 6.5mm 1: 2 Circular Fisheye [E, Z, X, EF-M, M4 / 3, N1]
3. 7.5mm 1:2.8 Fisheye (overview) [E, Z, X, EF-M, M4/3]
4. 8mm 1: 3.5 FISH-EYE CS [E, Z + F, EF]
5. 8mm 1: 2.8 [only M4 / 3]
6. 10mm 1: 2 [E, Z, X, EF-M, M4/3]
7. 12mm 1: 2 [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
8. 12mm 1: 2.8 [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
9. 25mm 1: 2 [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
10. 25mm 1:1.8(overview) [E, X, EF-M, Z, M4 / 3, N1]
11. 25mm 1:0.95 [E, X, EF-M, RF-S, M4/3]
12. 25mm 1:0.95 [IS]
13. 28mm 1:2.8(overview) [E, X, EF-M, M4/3, N1]
14. 35mm 1:1.7(overview) [E, X, EF-M, Z, M4 / 3, N1]
15. 35mm 1:1.4(overview)  [E, X, EF-M, Z, M4 / 3, N1]
16. 35mm 1:0.95 (overview)  [E, X, EF-M, RF-S, M4/3]
17. 50mm 1: 2 [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
18. 50mm 1:0.95 (overview) [E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
19. 55mm 1:1.4 [X, autofocus, 2023, announcement pending]
20. 60mm 1:2.8 MACRO (overview) [E, X, Z, EF-M, RF-S, M4/3]
21. 6-11mm 1: 3.5 Fisheye [EF / EF-S and F + E, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]

Full frame (also suitable for crop):

1. 8mm 1: 3.5 Fisheye [F and EF / EF-S + E / FE, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
2. 50mm 1: 1.7 [Z, E / FE, RF + X]
3. 50mm 1:1.2 [Z, FE, RF, EF, L]
4. 85mm 1: 2.8 Macro [F and EF / EF-S + Z, E / FE, X, EF-M, M4 / 3]
5. 85mm 1: 1.8 [for Sony E, manual]
6. 85mm 1:1.8AF STM (review pending) [for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, FujiFilm X, autofocus, 2022-2023]
7. 85mm 1:1.8AF (overview) [only for Nikon F, autofocus2020]
8. 85mm 1:1.8AF (overview) [only for Canon EF, autofocus2018]
9. 85mm 1:1.4 (to be announced) [for Sony E, Nikon Z, Panasonic L, Canon RF, autofocus2023]

Video Lenses:

1. 12mm T/2.2 [M4/3]
2. 16mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
3. 25mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
4. 35mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
5. 35mm T/2.1 [PL, RF, EF, L, E] Full Frame
6. 50mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
7. 50mm T / 2.1 [PL, RF, EF, L, E] Full Frame
8. 65mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]
9. 85mm T/2.2 [E, X, M4/3]

Mounts:

1. E: Sony E, APS-C, mirrorless
2. FE: Fony FE, Full Frame, Mirrorless
3. X: Fujifilm X, APS-C, mirrorless
4. Ef-m: Canon EF-M, APS-C, mirrorless
5. RF-S: Canon RF-S, APS-C, mirrorless
6. Ef-s: Canon EF-S, APS-C, SLR
7. M4 / 3: Micro 4/3, Kf = 2.0, mirrorless
8. N1: Nikon 1, Kf = 2.7, mirrorless
9. F: Nikon F, Full Frame or APS-C, SLR
10. Z: Nikon Z, Full Frame or APS-C, mirrorless
11. EF: Canon EF, Full Frame, SLR
12. RF: Canon RF, Full Frame, Mirrorless

Meike lenses can be found in the official Meike store on Aliexpress.

Main technical characteristics of MEIKE 7.5mm F1: 2.8 FISH-EYE

Review Instance Name	Body: 7.5mm F1:2.8 FISH-EYE On lids: MEIKE Mount side 'E Mount' + serial number
Basic properties	FISH-EYE - fisheye lens with uncorrected distortion and wide viewing angle The lens uses a Sony E mount and is suitable for Sony mirrorless cameras with an APS-C sensor Manual focus only Metal mount, metal body Built-in metal hood
Front Filter Diameter	do not support
Focal length	7.5 mm EGF for Sony E cameras, Fujifilm x with APS-C sensor is 11.25 mm, viewing angle is 118 degrees EGF for cameras Canon EF-M with APS-C sensor is 12 mm EGF for system cameras Micro 4 / 3 is 15 mm
Zoom ratio	1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom)
Designed by	Option from the review for cropped mirrorless Sony cameras. This lens exists with mounts: Sony E Canon EF-M Fujifilm x Nikon Z Micro 4 / 3
Number of aperture blades	7 rounded petals
Tags	bayonet mount mark focus distance scale in meters and feet aperture scale
Diaphragm	from F / 2.8 to F / 22, controlled using the aperture control ring. There are marks for f/2.8, 3.2 (dot only), 3.5 (dot only), 4, 5.6, 8, 11 (dot only), 16. The ring rotates with clicks.
MDF	0.15 meters, maximum magnification ratio approx. 1:11
The weight	260 grams (according to official figures)
Optical design	11 elements in 9 groups, circuit diagram not found. Most likely exactly the same as 7Artisans 7.5mm F/2.8 Fish-Eye II.
Lens hood	metal, built-in
Manufacturer country	Made in China (on the lens itself MADE IN CHINA)
Period	Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye lens was introduced 23 May 2022 years
Price	View on Aliexpress

I assume Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye is a replica 7Artisans 7.5mm 1:2.8 FISH-EYE MARK II (2021). The lenses have identical characteristics and appearance.

Assembly

In general, the lens well assembled. Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye has bayonet mount metal and the lens case itself is completely made of metal.

The weight of the Meike 7.5 / 2.8 Fish-Eye lens itself is just under 300 grams. In the hands of the lens feels like a solid thing.

The Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye itself is quite compact, well suited for small Sony cameras with an APS-C sensor.

The front cover is metal, without latches. The lid is just tightly attached on the lens body. On the inside, the lid has fabric seal. Lid slides off on its own it can be easily lost.

The diaphragm consists of seven petals and forms a round hole in the range F / 2.8-F / 4. At values ​​from F / 5.6 to F / 22, the aperture hole has the shape of a regular heptagon. The diaphragm can only be controlled manually using a special ring. Aperture ring rotates with clicks and fixed values.

It's important: The aperture control ring is quite narrow and is very close to the camera mount.

Important: the lens does not support classic filters, which are screwed into the thread near the front lens.

The Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye has a fixed hard-fitting metal hood.

Focusing

The focusing ring is quite wide, metal, with small notched ribs. The ring spins on 90 degrees (about 1/4 of a full turn). Focusing is smooth and pleasant.

During focusing, the front lens rides forward (it is the lens, not the lens trunk, the lens is surrounded by fixed hood blades). During focusing, the entire lens unit moves.

There is a scale on the ring with focusing distance in meters and feet.

The closest focusing distance is only 15 centimeters and the maximum zoom ratio is approximately 1: 11.

Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye has a slight 'Focus Breathing' effect (viewing angle changes while focusing). During focusing towards the MDF, the viewing angle decreases.

Focus Shift (shift focus, changing the focus distance due to iris) is missing.

Important: Focus peaking with Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye on the Sony NEX F3 camera works well.

Image quality

Optically Meike 7.5 / 2.8 Fish-Eye is good.

Sharpness

1. at F / 2.8 in the center of the frame, the lens easily copes with the 16 MP APS-C EXMOR HD CMOS sensor Sony NEX F3, the resolution can be called high
2. there is a slight drop in sharpness in the far corners of the frame, but even at f / 2.8 there are no problems in the corners and edges of the image
3. at covered aperture values, the lens is simply gorgeous across the entire field of the frame

Distortion

1. this is a fisheye, uncorrected strong barrel distortion is the main feature of the lens here

Vignetting

1. vignetting fixed well
2. vignetting is significantly reduced when the aperture is closed down to f / 4-5.6
3. vignetting decreases during focusing towards MDF

Aberration

1. low chromatic aberration
2. the strongest chromatic aberration visible around the periphery of the frame
3. chromatic aberration in the corners of the frame are slightly reduced when apertured

Rest

1. from bright light sources in some situations, you can get a large amount of glare in the backlight
   
2. the effect of a 14-beam star is quite simple to get
3. on heavily covered apertures, blur discs have the shape of a heptagon

Important: At the time of writing this review, there was no Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye profile for popular RAW converters. You can create a profile yourself or wait for its release.

Sample Photos

Photos for this review helped me prepare Anna Anuttara. All photos in the review are shown without processing. Sony NEX F3 camera (16 MP Sony Exmor APS-C HD CMOS sensor) was used.

Original images in JPEG ('.JPG', 40+ files) view / download from this link (Google Drive).

Alternatives

Alternatives for the Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye are other fisheyes originally designed to work with mirrorless APS-C/MFT cameras:

1. 7Artisans 7.5mm 1: 2.8
2. 7Artisans 7.5mm 1: 2.8 II
3. Samyang 8mm 1: 2.8 II
4. Samyang 8mm 1: 2.8
5. Laowa 4mm 1: 2.8
6. KamLan 8mm 1: 3
7. Meike 6.5mm 1: 2
8. Viltrox 7.5mm 1: 2.8 | Brighin Star 7.5mm 1: 2.8 | ANDOER 7.5mm 1: 2.8 | PERGEAR 7.5mm 1: 2.8 | RISESPRAY 7.5mm 1: 2.8  | Newyi 7.5mm 1: 2.8 | Lightdow 7.5mm 1: 2.8

All lenses in the last paragraph are most likely completely identical to each other. Also, many 8 / 2.8 and 8 / 3.5 class fish exist for SLR cameras that can be easily adapted to work on mirrorless cameras, some of these lenses immediately come with mounts for mirrorless cameras.

All Sony E-mount cameras with APS-C sensor

• NEX-3, NEX-C3, NEX-F3, NEX-3Women
• NEX-5, NEX-5N, NEX-5R, NEX-5T [fifth series on AliExpress.com]
• NEX-6, NEX-7
• a3000, a3500
• a5000, a5100
• a6000, a6100, a6300, a6400, a6500, a6600, a6700 [6000 series on Ali]
• ZV-E10
• FX30
• QX1
• Hasselblad lunar

All Sony E lenses for APS-C

Fix Lenses:

1. Sony 11 mm f / 1.8 [2022, black, AliExpress price]
2. Sony 15 mm f / 1.4 G [2022, black, AliExpress price]
3. Sony 16 mm f / 2.8 [2010, silver, AliExpress price]
4. Sony 20 mm f / 2.8 [2013, silver, AliExpress price]
5. Sony 24 mm f / 1.8 ZEISS ZA [2011, black]
6. Sony 30 mm f / 3.5 MACRO [2011, silver, AliExpress price]
7. Sony 35 mm f / 1.8 U.S.S [2012, black, AliExpress price]
   
8. Sony 50 mm f / 1.8 U.S.S [2011, black/silver, AliExpress price]

Zoom Lenses:

1. Sony 10-18 mm f / 4 U.S.S [2012, black, AliExpress price]
   
2. Sony 10-20 mm f / 4 G PZ [2022, black, AliExpress price]
3. Sony 16-50 mm f / 3.5-5.6 PZ U.S.S [2012, black/silver, AliExpress price]
4. Sony 16-55 mm f / 2.8 G [2019, black, AliExpress price]
5. Sony 16-70 mm f / 4 U.S.S ZEISS ZA [2013, black, AliExpress price]
   
6. Sony 18-50 mm f / 4-5.6 [2014, black]
7. Sony 18-55 mm f / 3.5-5.6 U.S.S [2010, black/silver]
8. Sony 18-105 mm f / 4 G PZ U.S.S [2013, black, AliExpress price]
   
9. Sony 18-110 mm f / 4 G PZ U.S.S [2016, black]
   
10. Sony 18-135 mm f / 3.5-5.6 U.S.S [2018, black, AliExpress price]
    
11. Sony 18-200 mm f / 3.5-6.3 U.S.S [2010, silver, AliExpress price]
12. Sony 18-200 mm f / 3.5-6.3 U.S.S LE [2012, black, AliExpress price]
    
13. Sony 18-200 mm f / 3.5-6.3 PZ U.S.S [2012, black]
    
14. Sony 55-210 mm f / 4.5-6.3 U.S.S [2011, black/silver, AliExpress price]
15. Sony 70-350 mm f/4.5–6.3 G U.S.S [2019, black, AliExpress price]

Third-party autofocus lenses for Sony E APS-C:

• Zeiss Touit Distagon 12/2.8 | Zeiss Touit Planar 32/1.8 | Zeiss Touit Makro Planar 50/2.8M
• Hasselblad E 3.5-5.6/18-55 OSS LF | Hasselblad E 3.5-6.3/18-200 OSS LF | Hasselblad E 2.8 / 16 LF
• Sigma C 16 / 1.4 | Sigma A 19 / 2.8 | Sigma EX 19/2.8 | Sigma C 30 / 1.4 | Sigma EX 30/2.8 | Sigma A 30 / 2.8 | Sigma C 56 / 1.4 | Sigma A 60 / 2.8 | Sigma C 18-50 / 2.8
• Tamron 11-20 / 2.8 | Tamron 17-70 / 2.8 VC | Tamron 18-200 / 3.5-6.3 VC | Tamron 18-300 / 3.5-6.3 VC
• Viltrox 13 / 1.4 | Viltrox 23 / 1.4 | Viltrox 33 / 1.4 | Viltrox 56 / 1.4 | felttrox 75/1.2
• Tokina 23 / 1.4 | Tokina 33 / 1.4 | Tokina 56 / 1.4 | Tokina 11-18 / 2.8
• Samyang 12 / 2
• Yongnuo 16 / 1.8, Yongnuo 50 / 1.8
• TTArtisan 27 / 2.8

Many interesting manual solutions are provided by Chinese manufacturers and brands. 7Artisans, TTartisan, Meike, Neewer, PerGear, Kamlan, Brightin star, Mitakon Zhongyi, Venus laowa other. Autofocus Speed ​​Boosters are also interesting Viltrox Canon EF -> Sony E 0.71X и Metabones Canon EF -> Sony E 0.71X... List of full-frame cameras and lenses Sony FE (Full Frame E) here

Video review

Price

Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye costs around $150. The easiest way to buy Meike 7.5/2.8 Fish-Eye on Aliexpress using this link or Meike official website.

Results

Meike 7.5 / 2.8 Fish-Eye is a modern fisheye for mirrorless cropped cameras of various systems. Good value for money. The optical lens is good. One of the best such solutions.

10 main advantages

1. low price tag (total about 150 dollars)
2. lens body is completely made of metal
3. beautiful box that comes with the lens
4. compact sizes
5. virtually internal focus
6. smooth focus ring
7. easy to get a 14-point star effect (important for wide angle lenses)
8. the lens is available for most popular cropped systems
9. good sharpness across the entire field of the frame already at f / 2.8
10. low chromatic aberration

10 main disadvantages

1. no CPU pins to form the correct EXIF
2. minimum aperture only f/16 (many have f/22-f/32)
3. the front cap is easy to lose and slides off the lens barrel easily
4. only 7 aperture blades
5. non-removable hood (very useful for use on full-frame cameras as a circular fisheye)
6. small step at the focus ring
7. the aperture control ring is narrow enough and close to the camera mount
8. there is no lens profile for popular RAW converters, the lens is not 'hardwired' into modern cameras
9. noticeable glare in the backlight is possible
10. most likely a copy of an older one 7Artisans 7.5mm 1: 2.8 FISH-EYE MARK II

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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram